Sabres 4, Blue Jackets 2
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Jack Eichel scored a highlight-reel goal 9:21 into the third period to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday afternoon.
Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, center Ryan O'Reilly and left winger Matt Moulson also scored for the Sabres (1-2-0), who picked up their first victory of the season. Goalie Chad Johnson made 19 saves.
The game-winner was a tremendous one-man effort by Eichel, the second overall pick. The 18-year-old center stole the puck from Columbus center Boone Jenner inside the blue line, raced along the left side of the ice before tucking a high wrist shot from a near-impossible angle past Bobrovsky. It was Eichel's second goal of the year.
Left wingers Brandon Saad and Scott Hartnell scored for the Blue Jackets (0-3-0), who lost their third consecutive game to start the year. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made 29 saves.
Ristolainen gave the Sabres their first lead of the season 2:33 into the second period with a power-play goal. The defenseman fired a blast from the right point through traffic to put Buffalo up 1-0.
Buffalo carried that momentum forward before doubling its lead with another power-play goal 5:10 into the third. Following a cross-ice pass from left winger Matt Moulson, O'Reilly scored his first goal as a Sabre with a sharp snap shot from the left circle. O'Reilly came to Buffalo in a trade with Colorado in June.
Columbus got on the board with a power-play goal of its own just over two minutes later. After the puck jarred loose from the crease, Saad put home the rebound for his second goal of the season to make it 2-1.
Buffalo regained its two-goal lead at 9:21 of the third on Eichel's spectacular goal.
Columbus cut Buffalo's lead to 3-2 with 6:47 remaining. Left winger Scott Hartnell connected from close range on a feed from center Ryan Johansen.
Moulson made it 4-2 with his first of the year on the power play with 4:13 remaining.
Notes: The Sabres recalled D Jake McCabe from the AHL's Rochester Americans. A second-round pick in 2012, McCabe had 29 points (five goals, 24 assists) in 57 games last season. He had played in nine prior games with the Sabres. ... RW Brian Gionta, D Carlo Colaiacovo and D Matt Donovan were scratched for Buffalo. Gionta is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury. ... RW David Clarkson (lower body), D Cody Goloubef and C Alexander Wennberg were scratched for the Blue Jackets. Wennberg is out indefinitely due to a concussion. ... The teams next meet on Friday, Feb. 19 in Columbus.